Restrictions pondered as droughts go on

WATER restrictions have been proposed by the Ministry of the Environment in a bid to prevent crops being ruined by drought.

Parks, gardens and pools could be denied water.

Farmers and the Junta de Andalucia have discussed emergency measures to use water from sewage treatment plants to aid irrigation efforts.

Alejandro Clavero, president of the Drafting Committee of the Statutes and Ordinances of the Central Irrigation Board of the Axarquia, highlighted the problem of investment, he said:

“The problem is that all of this leads to investments.

Thousands of litres of water are thrown into the sea every month but putting them at our disposal requires money and time.”

The management of Costa del Sol Occidental, Guadalhorce-Limonero and La Viñuela-Axarquia systems will meet this week with a view to discussing the most effective water-saving measures and how they will be implemented.

The Agrarian Association of Young Farmers in Malaga claim to have called for such measures for more than three years, general secretary, Benjamin Fauli, said:

“You can´t take measures to deal with a drought if they can´t be carried out due to lack of investment. What it does is delay the inevitable when we need an immediate solution.”

Some of the emergency works that the Junta de Andalucia has put in place include the desalination of the Rubite tunnel, the connection of the wells of the Chillar to the supply network of the La Viñuela system and the use of recycled water from Velez- Malaga and Algarrobo.

Subtropical crops and trees struggle the most in July, August and September and

these vital measures taken have helped to salvage the mango and avocado harvests which were almost lost.